Divorcing The Earth chapter four

Chapter Four

Nikki and Kevin went to lunch one day. They were walking from the office to his car. They were good friends now. They had known each other for over two years, and he had to admit he had developed quite the fondness for her. Not in a romantic way or even so much as a crush; but he couldn’t help but smile when he thought of her. She was his buddy. He looked forward to seeing her at the office each morning. Her smile, her laugh, and the little inside jokes they had developed over time had slowly infiltrated his crusty exterior. She had helped him to soften up some. They both saw eye to eye and for the first time in his life he trusted someone enough to show his softer side. To admit that he wasn’t always sure of himself. He dared for the first time, to show weakness. He couldn’t say the same for Shawna. They had been dating off and on for a little longer than he‘d known Nikki. They seemed to be a good couple. They had a lot in common. They were from similar backgrounds. Her parents adored him and his parents were always hinting about grandchildren. On paper, they looked really good together.
She was certainly attractive. She was intelligent, ambitious, carving out a good career path. Hell, sometimes it seemed that’s all she cared about. He couldn’t help but feel occasionally like he was on the back burner; an ornament to complement her, an accessory to her life. Or at the very best.. Another trophy in her case. Nevertheless, he thought that wasn’t such a bad thing. She was quite the catch for him, and maybe his parents were right. Maybe it was time to settle down. Besides they were the ones that taught him, it didn’t matter how you felt inside. The important thing was to keep up appearances. And as far as they were concerned, the two of them painted the perfect little picture of marital bliss. What more could he ask for? Stability, social standing, and his parents’ approval. He had never had all of those at once. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced it was time to take the plunge.
“Hey Nikki, umm I kinda had a reason for inviting you out to lunch today. Just you and me.” Kevin’s shoulders tensed up, his head cocked to the side, and his eyes darted around like he was embarrassed of the thoughts behind them. “I wanted to run something by you.”
“Kev, if this is about me interviewing the mayor for you again, I have enough on my plate. Besides, every time I talk to him, he undresses me with his eyes. It’s soo creepy.” She winced, chuckled, and shivered at the same time.
“No…it’s not about you interviewing the mayor,” he said in a mocking, ho hum tone. “I just..”
“Wait!”
They were still walking from the office to his car. She suddenly stopped, turned away from him, and crouched down.
“What is it? Are you ok?” he asked.
“Yeah, but this little guy isn’t.”
He looked over her shoulder; saw her cupping something in her hands. He stepped around to the side of her, bent down a little at the waist, and then he saw it. Go figure. If this wasn’t typical Nikki, he didn’t know what was. On closer inspection, he saw she was cradling a wounded butterfly.